Reply to teacher turnover in APS

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]

OK, maybe a few people are "disabled" due to long COVID? But those retiring earlier than planned? There are a host of other reasons than COVID itself or how APS handled COVID or how APE people treated teachers during COVID. [b]Even the YHS chemistry teacher who spoke at the school board meeting explained quite clearly her reasons for retiring earlier than she planned - and none of those reasons were COVID[/b].[/quote]

Must have missed this meeting....what did the teacher say?  What were her reasons for retiring early?[/quote]

So, now the SB has this data, and this is what I said to them tonight:
My name is snkwntjtn and I have been teaching chemistry at Yorktown High School for the last 31 years. It was my expectation that I would teach another 9 years. Sadly, and predominantly because of the decisions made by the board and Superintendent, I will be retiring at the end of this school year.
I love teaching and I love working with young adults–I am going to miss it horribly. What I will not miss though is over crowded classes and working for an organization that emphasizes administrative positions over classroom needs. Dr. Duran has presented 4 different budgets to the board during his tenure. The growth of non-school based positions has grown by 5, 8.2 ,8, and 4.4 percent in those budgets. Meanwhile, the growth of teaching staff has grown by 0.4, 0.4, 1.8 and 2.8% .  This emphasizes non-school based staff at an average rate 5 times greater than classroom teachers. Why are non-school based positions the priority of a school system? Our priority should always be the students and student facing positions–we should be adding teaching positions at a rate of 8 % a year.
Teacher morale is at an all time low–we are seen but not heard, we are clearly not valued, and we are so overworked it is breaking us. Yet, the solution of the leadership of APS is to hire non-school based staff. You are failing us and our students. How much longer will you allow this to continue?
And, quite honestly Dr Duran, referring to yourself and your leadership team as “The Cabinet” is the silliest thing I have heard . It lowers morale and purposely emphasizes the US vs THEM dynamic you have created in APS.  True leaders don’t need fancy titles or layers of bureaucracy–they just lead and they always put students first.[/quote]

A teacher essentially quit at a school
Board meeting?!?!

Have to say I agree with them on the cabinet.  It sounds silly and selfimportant. [/quote]

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